Category: COVID19

The Stay-at-Home Order & How It Will Change our Sunday Mornings.

It was once said that the only constant in life is change. How true that is. Change is happening yet again all around us. As we are all aware now, we are under a new stay at home order in our province. With that in mind, there are some further changes to ministry here at the church. For the coming weeks, Sunday gatherings will be solely online with no in-person gatherings in the building. Other in person ministry and meetings will also not be happening. As we move through the month of April, and as updates become available, I will be sharing them with you.

As I think about the next few weeks in front of us, my mind goes back to what I shared on Sunday morning. Lock downs, stay at home orders, and further restrictions can have the potential to cause us all worry and concern. It can further add stress and hardship to our lives. But I want to encourage us to remember how as people walking in the truth and reality of the risen Saviour, we are walking as people of the promise. We have the promise of a life to come. We have the promise of inner peace. We have the promise of unfailing love. And regardless of what happens around us, we can cling to the life changing promises that have been accomplished for us through Jesus rising from the grave, and we can rise above it in hope, power, and His victory.

If you need anything in this time, please reach out to us here in the office. We miss you all, love you all, and are praying for all of you.

— Pastor Dave

Covid Lockdown Response

December 22nd, 2020

As many of you are now aware, the province of Ontario is moving into a province wide lockdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 virus.  This includes the Grey Bruce region.  At this point, the lockdown will last 28 days, starting on December 26th, 2020 at 12:01 am.  While the lockdown is presently set to expire for our region on January 23, 2021, we are aware that the government will be re-evaluating the situation closer to that date and could choose to either lift or extend those guidelines.

As Ministry Council, when we first reopened our church building this past August to in-person services, we said that we would stay open if it were responsible, safe, and we could do so.  Because we want to be responsible, obedient, and safe citizens, we are agreeing to close our facility to any further in-person worship services or events until this lockdown is lifted, starting on December 26th, 2020.

What this means is that our Christmas Eve services are still going ahead as planned.  We will still be meeting at 5:30 and 7:00 pm to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, and the hope, peace, love, joy and light that He brings.  For those who are preferring to join us online or on the TV, a special Christmas Eve service will be broadcast on Facebook starting at 530 pm, and on Wightman Channel 6 at 7 pm.

Starting this next Sunday (December 27th, 2020) until the time where we can meet again in person, we will be doing a live stream service on Facebook, much like we did during the first wave.  We invite you to join us online at 10 am each Sunday for worship, prayer, teaching, and an opportunity to grow in your faith and be encouraged.

As mentioned prior, for your safety and in compliance with the regulations, our building will be closed for public access except for things deemed as essential services as per the government guidelines. We are in contact with the health unit to determine what those specific things are.  Also, for those of you who still need to give to the offering by cheque, we will have details released shortly as to the times in which you can arrange to drop your offering by the church.  If you still need to reach a pastor, the pastoral care phone will still be active (519-379-1752).

In this time that is ahead, know that we are praying for all of you. If you need anything, please reach out.  If you have any questions of us as Ministry Council, please contact us.  And in the days that are ahead, we want to wish you a Merry, blessed, restful, and refreshing Christmas where, even in the midst of all that is going on, that you feel the hope, peace, joy, love, and light of the Saviour, born in Bethlehem.

Your Ministry Council – Hanover Missionary Church – Jason Bechtel(Chair), Karen Schmalz(Vice-Chair), Dan DeVisser(Treasurer), Charlotte Spitzig(Clerk), Kaia Kontrimas & Carolyn Pearson

Family Update: Relaunching Sunday Gatherings

Hey everyone! If you read the email update from last week, or watched our online service this past weekend, you would have heard that we are re-launching in person services here at HMC. You would have also heard that more details would be coming. This is a start of some of those details. There will be a video made available through our website next week that will show a bit more of what it will be like to be back in the church building.

As we prepare to re-launch in person gatherings again, know that this is not a replacement of our online services. As internet and telephone surveys were reviewed from a couple weeks ago, it was clear that there was a segment of our congregation who is not able to connect to our online services presently or needs the in-person environment that a physical gathering would produce. As we talk about the importance of “Gather” and being “Generations Following Jesus Together”, we want to be accessible to all people. Us re-launching physical gatherings is in addition to our online presence (which will continue), to help those connect in who need that ‘in person’ church connection.

Our first Sunday back in our building will be Sunday August 2nd, 2020 @ 10am, in co-operation with our region now being in stage 3 of the provincial reopening plan.

For those of you who are returning, things will look different than you may remember from the last time we met in March. There are certain guidelines that we are choosing to follow and require as you come. They may seem extreme, unnecessary, or heavy, but we are requiring these because we want our building to be a safe place for all people. We love our church family and our community at large and we want to make sure we are doing everything we can (while still meeting) to reduce our risk of anyone getting sick here. Below is a list of some of the regulations and guidelines that will be followed:

a. There will be a health questionnaire taken at the main doors before
entering. Phone numbers will be required for contact tracing (in the event of an illness breakout), and family waiver forms will need to be signed for your first visit.

b. Face masks will be a requirement for anyone entering the building.

c. We will need to observe social distancing while in the building (6 ft apart, no mingling in the foyer or sanctuary). The foyer will be set up to promote traffic flow, but not mingling.

d. Building access will be limited to just the foyer, sanctuary, and upstairs
washrooms.

e. Washroom usage is limited. We are asking one person at a time in
the washroom, and if you don’t need to use the facilities while here,
don’t. Please use the washroom before you come to church.

f. You will have assigned seating that will be set up to keep us all at a
safe distance, observing social distancing guidelines.

g. When you arrive, ushers will guide through the designated path in the foyer to the sanctuary, where your assigned seat awaits. We are asking that you remain at your seats until the service is done. After the service, the ushers will dismiss you and guide you back out the building.

Some of you have asked “can we sing?” Because we are wearing face masks, yes. Wearing a face mask, you can sing as you are comfortable. We will have a live worship leader each week to lead us in singing.

So that we can organize seating, and keep under our 30% capacity, we will need you to pre-register for our sunday service. Registrations will open every Monday at 9am and close 10am on thursday for our services. Registration will open this Monday at 9am through our website . Please ensure only one person in your household fills out the registrations for everyone. Waiver forms will be posted there as well so that you can print them off and fill them out prior to Sunday. For those who can’t use the website to register, you will need to email registation@hanovermissionary.com with your family’s registration or call the main office at 519-364-1823. We are asking that all regular attenders of HMC please pre-register. While we will have limited ‘walk up’ spaces available for those who come Sunday morning without registering, these are intended for those who are visitors and did not have the opportunity to pre-register.

Thanks for taking time to read this, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Pastor Dave

HMC Family Update

Hopefully, you are enjoying a bit of a cooler week after the last several days of a heat wave here in Southern Ontario.  There were a few days where I can say I felt cooler being in Florida last November (and it was hot) than being here last week!

I wanted to take this time to give you an update of what has been going on here at HMC the last little bit, and what you can look forward to.

The summer holidays continue!

As the summer rolls on, more of our staff will be using up their yearly vacation time.

Just a reminder that regardless of which pastor may be away, the pastoral care line is always on and will be answered.  If you have an urgent need and are in need of a pastor, you can always call 519-379-1752.

For the next two weeks:

Pastor Amos will be away from July 18th through to Aug 2nd

Pastor Kristina will be away from July 20th through to Aug 2nd

Pastor Lyndsay will be gone from July 20th through Aug 18th.

I (Pastor Dave) will be in the office and can be reached for any concerns of a pastoral nature.  Marie and Alanna will also both be working.

‘Flat Jesus’

A couple weeks ago, you should have received our summer mailing with the Flat Jesus weekly family activity.  It has been great to see so many of our families taking the challenges every week and posting pictures of you doing those challenges!  Keep the pictures coming, and keep sharing Jesus with our community!

If you have not received this mailing, please contact the church office as we may not have your address, and we would be happy to send one your way.

Summer video surprise!

Every Wednesday at 7pm, make sure you go to our facebook page for a surprise video each week.  The first two Wednesdays have been great, and we have many more great videos in store for you this summer.  Check it out!

SummerSlam is here, and will be back!!!

What is summer without SummerSlam at HMC?  Even a pandemic can’t stop it.  This year we are going digital with summer slam.  Go to summerslam.online for information and to register.  The first week of SummerSlam is just wrapping up, but for those of you who missed it, or you want to do SummerSlam a second time around (and trust me, you might just want to), we are running it again in August (10-14th).  Sign up online.

Missions Highlight

Every two weeks, we want to highlight a different missionary for you to be praying for.

This week we highlight our very own Wes and Brenda Dyck.   Wes and Brenda serve with Ethnos and the Durham location, teaching and preparing future missionaries and their families for going into missions around the world.

They are requesting prayer for the upcoming fall semester.  As some of you are aware, for the first year in many, Ethnos did not have new students entering the program this last year.  This upcoming fall, there is a lot of interest, and there have been many who signed up.  Yet with the reality of COVID, some plans may have been changed.  Many of the students come here from the USA and may not be able to attend due to the border shutdown.  As well, how the training is delivered may have to change to suit some of the unique needs that are present.

Thanks for your prayer support, and I know they would always welcome a phone call or an email to reach out!

Giving update

Thanks to everyone who has been helping HMC by giving, even during this shut down.  We are thankful and amazed how God continues to provide for us.

As I mentioned in my last update, with summer coming, giving levels traditionally drop, and the present situation has not helped.  June was the tightest month on record since COVID hit. While up to this point, we have been able to pay our bills, we are meeting our bills because ministry is not costing what it normally does.

In order for us to continue to fund the ministry that we are doing (and that so many of you have reached out to us to tell us that you have appreciated), would you please consider, as you are able and God leads, to give to the ministry here at HMC?

As mentioned in the past email, we do have the ability to accept giving by E-transfer.

Please send your e-transfer to bookkeeper@hanovermissionary.com

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cory Bezeau at the same address.  He can help you with any questions you have.

When is HMC going to re-open?

First of all, thank you to all of those who responded and gave feedback through email or by phone to the surveys that were sent out a couple weeks ago.  I personally appreciated being able to find out where you are at as we contemplate future in person ministry at HMC.

With much of Ontario presently being in stage 3, our province has begun to open up on many various fronts.  More freedom has been given around gatherings in our province, and with that has come the question “when will it be safe to re-open our doors for Sunday gatherings?”

We are aware that there are many in our congregation who can not connect to our digital online Sunday services or activities.  We are also aware that there are many who can not watch the services on Wightman Channel 6.  We are also aware of the effect on mental and emotional health that not being able to connect in person has had for some.

This is why, in addition to our HMCdigital platform that we will continue to offer and expand upon, we are looking at re-opening our building specifically for Sunday worship gatherings starting August 2nd, 2020.  Keep your eyes open for details coming up.  And for those of you who do not have email access, we will be calling you in the days ahead.

We know that an in person gathering will not be for everyone at this time, nor can we physically have everyone attend.  Please know that we are not pressuring anyone to return, and we give you the complete freedom to decide when you think it is safe for you and your family to return in person to HMC without any sense of guilt or shame.  We will continue to provide the option to live stream the Sunday gatherings.  We will still maintain a strong online presence, and plan to do so even as things return to normal in our province.

As you come to the Sunday gatherings here at HMC, know that there are strict guidelines from the health region that we are requiring anyone coming into our building to follow.  We are frequently checking the latest updates from our health region to ensure that we are on the forefront of keeping people safe.  As we gather together, your safety is of our utmost concern.  And at any point where the health unit recommends that we close, we are willing to do so.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading and keeping in touch with what is going on at HMC.

Know that we miss you all and pray for you.  If you need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out.

See you again in two weeks for our next update!

On behalf of everyone here,

Pastor Dave

Update: When Will We Be Open Again?

When will we be open again?

Good afternoon!

As you are likely aware, last week the provincial government made a provision available for churches to begin to meet again in person. For many of us, that decision was met with excitement as we long to be together again. The last few months have been difficult on all of us. Many of you have been asking “when is the church going to open up?”

Last week, I promised you that I would have a plan available to you for this week. After meeting with staff and with ministry council, we do have an update ready to share.

Let me start by saying that we love you all, and we miss you all. We look forward to seeing you again.

Let me also say that we are living in unprecedented times where information is changing frequently and readily.

Because we love and care for you, because we are concerned for your well being, and because we have a desire to keep you and our community safe, our physical church building will remain closed for the near future for the purposes of Sunday gatherings. Our decision was made based on the information that we have been currently given. This could quickly change as regulations and restrictions change, but as of this point we will continue to provide online services streaming through Facebook and our website, as well as broadcast on Wightman Channel 6.

There were many factors that played into our decision, but let me share with you some of the rationale behind us not physically meeting as of yet:

1) Last Wednesday, I was in a video call hosted by Dr. Ian Arra with 100 other church pastors and faith leaders in the Grey Bruce region. In the video call, Dr. Arra affirmed the role that the church plays in the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of people in these times. He also stated that the safest way for people to engage with church is online if possible. Meeting in a crowd, even with proper protection, still carries a level of risk.

2) We would not be able to participate in the aspects of the service that we hold dear. The health unity has requested that singing would not be allowed due to the concern that singing is as bad as (or worse than) coughing. Also, communion would not be allowed to happen due to the risk of transmission. As well, there would not be the opportunities to mingle and connect with people before or after the service as we would have to adhere to social distancing protocols.

3) There are many other churches in our denomination that I have been in contact with that are over a certain size that have decided that they will likely wait the summer out and not push to re-open until September.

4) Within Hanover, a large number of the churches have expressed recently that they will also be holding off on opening as late as the fall by request of their denomination or church council.

5) Upon conversations with a few different sources within the medical field, a common theme expressed was concern of the church opening too quickly and potentially introducing a large number of people to an infection that has not disappeared yet and could be on the brink of a second wave.

6) Our building does not have the capacity to hold everyone who may want to be back at this time. Rather than having to say who can and can not be here, we feel it is better to wait until we can all come together as a family and worship together.

What I do offer, with a word of caution, is the freedom, as long as you can do so while observing proper social distancing measures, is the ability to get together in casual, unofficial groups of 10 or less at your homes, or in your front and back yards to participate in the service, doing so as a community.

I understand and acknowledge that this will come as a bit of a disappointment for many. We have all been looking forward to being able to meet again. Last Monday, it probably felt like a glimmer of hope had returned!

Please know that while these are not ideal times, we also make this decision as followers of Jesus, seeking to set for our community an example of respect and submission to the authorities over us. Romans 13 tells us that this is a good thing for us to do, and that it acknowledges the authority of the God who placed them there.

Also, please know that this decision was not made out of fear. We are not fearful of the days that are ahead because we believe our God knows the past, present, and future. We know that nothing takes Him by surprise, and that He can turn even the most difficult and stressful situation and bring something of amazing beauty and wonder out of it. While we are inconvenienced right now and our routines are further turned upside down, we can confidently believe that as we follow God in this, He will bring something amazing out of this time.

Also, while it is hard not to meet in our church building, we are reminded that we are the Church. The Church is built by God. The building is only a man-made structure where we meet. Wherever and however the people of God meet together to worship Him, there the church is.

The encouragement and challenge to us today is to find creative ways to continue to be the Church.

Ministry Update: March 27, 2020

I wanted to take some time to fill you in on some important updates surrounding the ministry at Hanover Missionary Church.

When will we be back?

This is a good question that I am sure many of you are asking.

First, thank you for engaging with us online these past couple weeks. It has been encouraging to see so many joining into our Facebook page, watching live on our website, or being involved in Zoom calls. Thanks for being flexible and being a part of the church community in this new way.

Initially, we had set April 5th as being the target for being back in the building. With the recent spread and growth of COVID-19 in Ontario, that is no longer reasonable. We are prepared to be out as long as needed, and our new ministry structure supports that. For the immediate future, we are planning to be out for all of April, with us evaluating our situation before the May 3rd Sunday AM worship gathering.

What does that mean for Good Friday, Easter, and other ministries?

Good Friday and Easter Sunday gatherings will still happen; however it will be online this year. We will still have a time where we will gather for worship, reflection, and celebration online, but watch for details in the coming week.

As for other ministries, we will continue to operate online as we have been, with the option of introducing more opportunities as the need and ability to do so arises. We are constantly evaluating the status of future ministry events as time passes. As things change, we will continue to be in communication with you.

While I know that some of what follows will be review to many of you, please continue to read this letter as there are some important details in here for everyone.

What is the best way to participate in the online gatherings?

We are online for all our gatherings. You can find us on our Facebook page where we will be broadcasting our events live. You can also watch our broadcast events through our website. Our Zoom rooms are done through a video chat program called Zoom. You can find out more information on our website.

As we have gone online, we have discovered some of our technical limitations. One of those limitations is that our physical website (www.hanovermissionary.com) can only handle a certain amount of online traffic at once. When it hits its limit for traffic, the technology parking lot becomes full, and no one else can come in and park for our service. Just as we would want to create physical space in our parking lot for people, we need to create virtual space for people on our website. Otherwise people can not watch and participate. If you, or your spouse, or your children have a Facebook account, please watch our service through our dedicated Facebook page. We want to leave our website open to those who have no other option. If you do not have a Facebook account, but are able to sign up for a free account, please do. If you need help, please contact one of us, and we would be happy to help you in the sign-up process. (You can find a tutorial here on our website.)

What about giving to the weekly offering?

With our weekly physical meetings stopping, the opportunity to participate in the weekly offering looks different.

Even though the physical, in person ministries have temporarily stopped here at HMC, ministry is still active and happening. There are still ongoing expenses and financial needs to be met so that we can continue to be on mission for Jesus in our community.

I am sensitive to the reality that there are many reading this notice who would normally want to give to help support the ministry of HMC, but your income situation has changed, and you are now unable to give. Please do not hear me pressuring you to give. We (as HMC) need to be sensitive to the situation that some of us may not have a steady income at this time of economic uncertainty.

I am also aware that there are some of us who are able to count on a steady income in this time, and may have the ability and resources to give a bit extra during this time to help us continue to pay our bills. As the Lord leads, would you please consider what you may be able to give in this time?

If you can give online by credit card, please consider doing so. On your web browser, go to tithe.ly or download the tithe.ly app for your smart phone. Through that website/app, you can give directly to HMC. If you need any assistance, contact the office.

If you still wish to give by physical cheque, please call the office to set that up. Marie has requested that you call on Monday or Wednesday.

How can we love our community?

There are some amazing new opportunities we have to be a blessing to our community.

1) Benevolence Fund: Community Aid – During this pandemic, a number of people inside and outside our church family are going to be in need. If God has given you the ability and desire to share with others, you can donate to HMC and designate your gift to “Benevolence Fund: Community Aid”. You will receive a donation receipt, and the funds will be distributed according to HMC policies. Please consider these gifts to be above your regular offerings. If donating through Tithe.ly or the church website, this designation is now an option.

2) Grocery drop off – We have been approached by the medical community in Hanover about if some of our people would be willing to provide assistance to those who are in isolation and can not leave their homes by delivering pre-paid groceries from the grocery store to their front steps. We do have people within our congregation willing to do this, and we have willingly taken on this new way to bless our community. However, if you are willing to volunteer to help with this, please contact myself at the office (519-364-1823 Ext 30 or dave@hanovermissionary.com).

3) White Ribbon Campaign – We have been asked to be a part of a community initiative to show our support and love to the healthcare workers who are on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis. As a sign of support, people are being asked to tie white ribbons to a tree, bush, porch railing, etc… at your home. We think this is a great idea as a church, and we already have one up at the church building. Our challenge for this week is “how many white ribbons can the HMC community place outside this week?”

I know that there has been a lot of information for you to read today. Thanks for taking the time to read through all of this. As always, if you have any comments, questions, or feedback, do not hesitate to contact myself, the office, or one of the other pastors.

Know that we are praying for you and are happy to serve you in this time.

Glad to be part of this family!

Pastor Dave

A Priesthood of All Believers: A Response to COVID-19

To: my fellow Pastors,
former classmates,
church leaders,
(and of course my congregation)

I can still remember the weight and the look of my dad’s ‘church bag’. A big-lug-of-leather brief case. And if memory serves, he only took it church. It was filled with loose papers, his Bible, pens without lids, and church candy. Oh that sweet, sweet church candy! Our family would sit two rows from the front (keeners) – spitting distance from the Pastor. Sunday morning and Sunday night – every week – without fail.

And I loved it.

I loved going to church. I loved being a part of a church. Seeing the people. The feeling of being swept into the river of folks mixing after service. I loved the stories. I felt safe in the building.

I loved the community. The flyby-pencil-stealing-missions past Mrs. Ernst every week. I needed to draw! And she could only guard the supply room door for so long, until SWOOP. Another stash of church pens in my pocket.

Looking back, it isn’t a wonder that I wandered into the clergy. I still love the church. It is my second home. The people are my family. Even my children have been absorbed into the same way-of-being I experienced as a child. They run through the doors, kick off their boots, find the secret stock of baby cookies, and settle in. Our family schedule and weekly rhythm has been molded around the church rhythms. You know as well as I, pastoring isn’t a job – it’s a way of life.

COVID-19 has disrupted almost every facet of pastoral life.

We have literally watched the world stop. Our government has closed its borders. World governments have completely locked-down and shut-out. Airlines have been grounded. The markets are in free-fall. The streets are nearly empty. The toilet paper is gone! And millions upon millions upon millions of people are in isolation. Projections for the crisis to end are a moving target. Our government has signalled we should prepare for weeks and months. Scientists forecast June, or July, or August as a possible end to social isolation and the return of ‘normal life’. Some have suggested even a year. Maybe they are wrong! Maybe they are right. Our world has changed in a blink of an eye. Our churches have followed suit.

COVID-19 has disrupted almost every facet of church life.

Nearly every operation of our in-person community building mechanisms have halted simultaneously. Sunday Worship. Midweek meals. Small Groups. Youth. Visitation. Events. Missions trips. Staff meetings. And all those precious impromptu conversations in the foyer. The hugs. Smiles. Weekly updates. Jokes and rants.

Stopped.

Worse. It is conceivable that as Pastors we may not physically see, or speak, or cluster with our parishioners for weeks on end. It is conceivable that our people may not physically gather for groups, events, meals, game-nights, conferences, or Sunday worship for months.

Let that sink in.

Like you, my soul is grieved. There are moments I am speechless at the thought. Breathless. Where is this going? What will happen to the spiritual health of our people? What will happen to our churches as institutions? What will be left of our denominations, our bank accounts, the volunteer corps, summer interns, that cream I left in the fridge? Can we hold out for weeks, or months, or years? I know it sounds apocalyptic, but I can’t help but wonder:

is the Evangelical Church on the brink of extinction?

Oh, hear me local church Pastor – Sunday gatherings will happen in the post-COVID era. There will be sound glitches, mediocre coffee, hugs and songs, endearing awkward conversations, greetings in the foyer. It is all waiting on the other side. It may take weeks, or months, or longer. But how, oh how, can it ever be the same?

We are all scrambling. Upping our online presence (at least until the internet collapses). Our care teams are in place. Calls are being made. Groceries delivered. But live streaming alone cannot sustain us. We risk becoming a literal ‘show’ and just another barrier to an already passive-consumer-Christian experience. Zoom groups will keep us talking. But they limit our capacity to fully care. Besides, these methods are adult-centric and tech-heavy. Our most vulnerable – the kids, youth, and elderly – remain the most vulnerable. We are in a crisis of faith.

But beneath my feelings of dread and grief, there is a surge of excitement welling out of my soul. Jesus spoke: ‘It is the people, stupid.’ It has always been the people. The kids. The youth. The adults and singles and elderly. The families. It is not our brand. Our programming. Not our vision. Our building. Our production quality. Our preaching. It is the people.

It is time to reimagine the church. It is time to reequip the people!

In this moment, in this crisis of faith, we have a profound opportunity. We have a chance to re-energize our parents to be the spiritual caretakers of their children, youth, and families. We have a window to re-charge our adults to be self-motivated, self-teaching, self-driven people of faith. We have a moment to re-invigorate our people to be the church in action! We have the freedom to reimagine our congregations as JOEL 3 – ACTS 2 people of faith. A priesthood of all believers!

Our congregations are desperate for it.

Every family needs a Storyteller.
(someone who can open up their Bible, read it aloud with conviction, weave a picture with their words, and make it alive!)

Every house needs a Worship-Arts Director.
(someone to paint and draw and express, someone to take charge of the family playlist, load it with Jesus-songs, fill the air with hymns and praise and dance music!)

Every parent and grandparent needs to be Child and Youth Worker.
(someone who takes the work of play seriously – who guards the imagination of their children as their highest priority – who dares their youth to ask tough questions – and who is secure enough to listen without judgement!)

Every person needs a Counsellor.
(someone to listen, create sacred spaces for sharing and prayer.)

Our communities are desperate for it.

Every house needs a Pastor.
(someone who cares deeply for those around them, checks in, prays, and shepherds their flock!)

Every street needs an Evangelist.
(someone to speak boldly the love of Jesus without judgement, or fear, or hesitation!)

Every block needs a Prophet.
(someone who will cry out against injustice, hold truth to power, exclaim God’s promises, advocate for the poor, the starving, and the vulnerable, in Jesus’ name!)

Every town needs an Apostle.
(those who will be sent out on mission – in both physical and digital spaces – to redesign public space, and reinvigorate public conversation, for Jesus’ sake!)

Everyone needs not one – but many Teachers.
(people who adore the ancient scriptures, teach the history, adhere to context and form, embed the biblical narrative into daily lives of those around them!)

And everyone needs a Care Pastor and Encourager.
(people who actively see and intuitively read the needs of their neighbours and respond in kind with open hands and joyful hearts!)

Toddlers. Children. Youth. Adults. Parents. Singles. Grandparents. Families. Generations. We all have a part! There is no time for us to sit idle. We cannot wait this thing out.

If ever our towns needed an organic network of Spirit-led people – it is now.

If ever our world needed to hear and see the Good News of Jesus Christ working and flowing through everyday people – it is now.

If ever your church needed you, as a Pastor, as a shepherd, as an equipper of the saints – it is now.

In this moment, we must do what we were trained to do: reimagine the church and equip the people for the ministry! And then watch, as the priesthood of believers reshapes our world for Jesus’ sake.

There is no model on ‘how to do this’. Complications will abound. Our plans will be a mess. The work is insurmountable. But the spirit will lead.

This is our moment:

To rethink our purpose.
To reequip our people.
To reimagine the church.

May the Spirit lead us.

Your friend and brother,
in love,
in Christ,

-amos

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How We’re Moving Forward: A Message from the Staff of HMC

Read our latest update from Pastor Dave.

Video transcription:

Hello. My name is Amos Shelley and I am the pastor of children, youth, and family at Hanover Missionary Church in Hanover, Ontario, Canada.

Covid-19 has changed our lives for the time being. Many of you are scared. Many of you are anxious. There’s uncertainty around jobs, around health, around our loved ones. We know the effects of social isolation and bans on large group gatherings have altered the course of our society for the time being.

I want to remind you that you are not alone and you are loved and you are not forgotten.

As a pastor and as staff who’s primary job is to meet with people in big and small groups, how we do church has to change for the time being and we are really excited to roll out two new initiatives for Hanover Missionary Church. HMCdigital and HMCcares.

HMCdigital will be a unique online strategy to meet you in your home where you are at. Couples, families, children, youth alike. There will be live streaming of content, there will be digital curriculum, sermon videos, sermon series, suggestions, updates, group chats. We will provide and facilitate as many opportunities for you to connect with each other and with us as possible and we’re excited to see what God will do with this medium.

HMCcares is perhaps the most comprehensive one-to-one contact mechanism that HMC has ever employed, and our goal is to personally contact each and every one of you through a person on our care team every single week. We want to hear your stories. We want to hear your voices. We want to pray with you and talk with you. We want to know your needs and how best to meet them.

Pastor Kristina and I will be live streaming this Sunday at 10:00 and sharing the plan and the strategy and the schedule for the weeks ahead. We invite you to join us. You can hop onto our Facebook page or even through our website at 10:00 to follow along and participate.

Most importantly we want to remind you that God’s redemptive work in the world isn’t finished. He is still active. He is still moving. No economic downturn or virus can slow His grace or mercy. The borders of his kingdom can’t be closed and His spirit can’t be put in isolation. His love is eternal and it is good. Even in death, the hope of the resurrection remains because of what Jesus Christ has done.

So be encouraged. You are the literal light of the world. You are the embodiment of hope and peace everywhere you go. You are filled with His spirit and you are filled with His love. And though there will be difficult days ahead, you’re not doing this alone. We are together, a family of families of generations who follow Jesus together.

For those who are not part of this family, know that this family is open. And if you know someone who need encouragement or needs to be connected in, send them this video, invite them to our Facebook page, connect with them, give them a call. Our family is open for anyone and everyone.

In the words of St. Paul to the Romans, he says there’s nothing that can separate us from God’s love. Nothing. Nothing high or low, nothing angel or demonic, nothing dead or alive, nothing thinkable or unthinkable. There’s absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God because we have been embraced by Jesus Christ.

Know today that you are embraced by Jesus Christ, that He loves you, and He has not forgotten you even in the darkest times of our life. So feel His embrace, feel His love, connect with us. We’re here for you and we’ll talk to you soon.

Update: COVID-19 Response

For Immediate Release

March 15th, 2020

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matt 5:14)

Can our light be hidden if we don’t have a building?

Good morning everyone.  Since the video update yesterday evening, the situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus has been changing, even in Hanover with worship services now beginning to be cancelled.  In the last 12 hours, at least two local congregations have temporarily closed their doors for public worship, with the weekly community Lent services also being cancelled.

While we have been told that we are still okay to meet together this weekend, in consultation with Ministry Council, multiple sources from the medical world, as well as Health Canada and Ontario Public Health guidelines, we have decided that for the following two Sundays (March 22 and 29, 2020), we will be closing down our regular Sunday worship gatherings.  This is in addition to us temporarily closing all our weekly ministries this past Friday.

During this time, Hanover Missionary Church will not be providing any sort of live streaming worship service from our location.  However, we are happy to help provide families with suggestions for home Bible studies, as well as make suggestions for some excellent electronic resources that you can view and make use of from the safety of your home. Please contact a pastor for suggestions. 

While it is our desire for us to remain connected as a community, and it would be our natural desire to see small groups gather within the context of homes, we also need to be aware of the need for social distancing.  Any such gathering needs to be at your own discretion.  We are not organizing any official networks of small group meetings as a ministry of HMC.  

During this time, the church office will be officially closed for public access, but the staff and pastors are still available by phone or email.  For those who wish to give to our weekly offering, please consider using the tithe.ly app and giving electronically.  If you need to use the debit terminal or drop off an envelope in a lock box, you can still do that.  

We are currently working through a strategy and plan to ensure that the congregation is still cared for in this time.  If you are in need, are wanting prayer, and are needing some extra care because of the present COVID-19 outbreak, please contact our office and speak with a Pastor, or with Marie.  

Currently, the plan is to have worship services resume for April 5th, 2020.  We will re-evaluate our current situation over the next couple weeks and will keep you updated on any developments.  Please watch our website and social media pages for important updates.   

As we deal with what has become an unprecedented time within our country, remember that regardless of what happens with COVID-19, we are still the church. We don’t need a building to be the church.   You (the people) are the church.  As such, closing our doors do not stop us from being on mission for Jesus.  It does not stop us from loving others.  It does not stop us from being a source of light, hope, encouragement, comfort, and peace in a world that seems to be falling apart with panic and fear.  You and we are the light of the world.  The light of Jesus in us can not be hidden and needs to be shared.  

Find ways to be Jesus.

Until we gather again,

Pastor Dave

Read the original March 12, 2020 update